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Kai Sotto's name has been all over Philippine sports pages this August - and not for one reason. He is exploring a possible move to US college basketball, Gilas Pilipinas needs an answer from him by August 28, and an offseason training session with Rain or Shine had fans convinced he was headed to the PBA. None of that is confirmed yet. Here is what actually happened, in order.
Where Is Kai Sotto Now?
He's a free agent. Sotto's two-year run with Japan's Koshigaya Alphas ended when his contract expired at the end of May 2026, with the club confirming he'd move onto the B.League's free agency list. No new club has been announced. What's actually steering his career right now isn't a roster spot anywhere - it's an NCAA waiver application, worked through his agency Wasserman Sports.
That waiver is also why every gym-session photo of him gets treated as breaking news. Sotto has not played PBA basketball and has not enrolled in a US school yet - the waiver itself is still pending. He has already stepped away from one option, though: an NBA Summer League return that looked likely in June never happened, once the NCAA route became the priority.
PBA Buzz Around Kai Sotto
On July 15, Rain or Shine forward Leonard Santillan posted clips of Sotto joining a five-on-five Elasto Painters practice, captioning it "Pwede na sa next game." Fans ran with it. Head coach Yeng Guiao shut the speculation down fast: Sotto was there because he "doesn't want to lose his form," not to try out.
Kamuntik na naming maging player si Kai noon. Naglalaro pa lang siya noon sa Ateneo tsaka sa national youth team, pero plano na naming ma-include siya noon sa men's team.
Yeng Guiao, Rain or Shine head coach
The connection runs deeper than one gym session. Sotto's father, Ervin, a former PBA player, once coached under Guiao at NLEX - which is probably why Guiao remembers almost recruiting a teenage Kai years before any of this NBA business started.
Kai Sotto NBA Pursuit
For a few weeks this summer, it looked like Sotto's road back to the NBA was running through Orlando again. Gilas coach Tim Cone said in early June that Sotto was set to join the Magic's Summer League roster for a second stint, following his 2023 appearance. That plan changed: by mid-July, reporting made clear Sotto had opted out of Summer League entirely to focus on a different path back to the NBA.
That path is school, and it is the real story now. Sotto turned pro in 2020 straight out of high school, passing on scholarship offers from Kentucky, Auburn, and Georgia Tech to join the G League Ignite instead. Six years, three leagues, and one torn ACL later, he wants that decision back - and the clock is real. The NCAA approved a sweeping eligibility overhaul in June 2026, shifting to a strict age-based model starting fall 2027. Miss that window, and the college route closes for him specifically - reporting on his case describes the transitional 2026/27 cycle as effectively his last shot at NCAA eligibility before the new rules apply in full.
- A "professional participation and amateurism reinstatement waiver" from the NCAA - still pending as of mid-July, no confirmed timeline
- Approval before fall 2027, when the new age-based eligibility rules take effect
- Public backing from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Ricky Vargas, who called it "a national dream as well"
- An estimated $1 million in NIL earnings if he lands a program, on top of playing in front of NBA scouts every week instead of once a year at Summer League
NBA Draft & Summer League Timeline
Injury Recovery and Comeback
- January 5, 2025 - tears his left ACL against the SeaHorses Mikawa, later calls it his "darkest day"
- 2025 - surgery, roughly a year of rehab
- 2025-26 season - returns to the Koshigaya Alphas, passes 1,000 career B.League points
- January 2026 - minor right ankle issue on the comeback, does not sideline him again
- Season close - 13.1 points, 9.3 rebounds a game, full workload
The ankle scare mattered more than the stat line suggests. Coming back from a torn ACL and immediately tweaking the other leg is exactly the kind of setback that ends comeback stories early - it did not, and the Alphas leaned on him for a full season afterward.
Kai Sotto and Gilas Pilipinas
Gilas went 2-4 in the first qualifying round without him. Tim Cone did not sugarcoat the June absence:
Kai is attending the NBA Summer League, which we are happy about. We're supporting his road to the NBA.
Tim Cone, June 2026
Why This Matters for Philippine Basketball
A 7-foot-3 center who can actually shoot and pass is not a common export from the Philippines, and that is the real reason Sotto's every move gets covered this closely. Vargas and the SBP backing his NCAA plan is not a courtesy statement - a college roster spot in front of NBA scouts every week is a realistic path there in a way that a Japanese league or another Summer League invite is not. It is also why Gilas keeps a seat open for him even after three missed qualifying windows: if the NCAA route works, the exposure benefits the national team too, not just Sotto's own contract.
Kai Sotto as a 1xBet Ambassador
Sotto has represented 1xBet as its basketball ambassador for Asia since February 2024, covering the Philippines, Japan, China, Indonesia, and Thailand. The operator, run by developer 1XCorp N.V., has since added other regional and global faces to that roster, including Conor McGregor, who became 1xBet's global ambassador in July 2026. Sotto's role runs alongside his playing career, not instead of it - built around appearances and regional promotion rather than betting activity tied to his own games.
Fans following Sotto's ambassador appearances can install the 1xBet app using our verified APK guide, or check our 1xBet registration walkthrough before signing up.
What's Next for Kai Sotto?
- NCAA waiver decision - no set timeline, deadline pressure builds toward fall 2027
- Gilas Pilipinas recall - confirmed for Jordan (Aug 28) and Iran (Aug 30); results not yet in as of this update
- PBA - no signing on the table, but interest around his next move is likely to continue
